


Terene

by Dark_Xenon



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 07:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12294603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Xenon/pseuds/Dark_Xenon
Summary: The tale of Terene. The vessel from the Abandoned Tramway.





	Terene

They were silent as they hammered away at the appliance in front of them. They had been sent here by the king... how long ago was it now? They didn’t even have a name back then. Their fellow workers decided to call them Terene, after the project they were all working on. They were assisting with the creation of a tram connecting the upper regions of Deepnest with the rest of Hallownest.

So far, they’d been making good progress and were nearing the end of the job. They weren’t quite sure what would become of them afterwards, but they’d grown attached to the other workers. Somehow, they’d become a strange kind of family in this dark cold place. They made sure to stay in groups near the work area, the spiders may have allowed them to be here, but that didn’t mean the two groups were on good terms.

However, lately, there seemed to be something different about the spiders that lingered at the edge of their workplace. Their eyes appeared to be tinted with a sickly orange, and they constantly stalked the builders from the outskirts of the cavern. There was something about them that felt _off_ to them. It felt like they were being told that they needed to be extra cautious even as they drew closer to the tram’s completion.

They were getting so close to finally finishing the project when it happened.

Without warning, a cascade of spiders surged toward them. It wasn’t long before two of the workers were consumed by the wave. The rest of them fled down the tramway, the only area that hadn’t already been overrun. Though, even the area further in was infested with flying carver hatchers, which meant that Dirtcarvers were lurking about as well. This was soon proven true when another one of the workers collapsed to the ground, a dirtcarver devouring their leg.

Terene didn’t stop running. They couldn’t stop. It was down to just them, one other worker, and the foreman of the project. The foreman lead them toward one of the trams, and said that they should try and hide inside until the carvers and spiders calmed down. He’d barely finished speaking when a carver hatcher fired a dirtcarver at the foreman, it's enraged hissing audible even as the other two continued running. Neither dared turn around to see him be overtaken by the spiders.

Luckily, they managed to get inside one of the trams and slam the door behind them, Terene hit the door frame with their hammer, bending it out of shape to ensure it couldn’t be forced open. Neither of them could do anything but stare as the spiders and dirtcarvers scratched at the windows trying to get to them.

* * *

They weren’t sure how long it had been since they’d escaped the spiders with their lives, however it looked as though there wasn’t a chance of the spiders giving up yet. Luckily, they hadn’t made any progress with breaking into the metal tram. However, Terene could tell that something was up with the other occupant of their little bunker. Their fellow worker began mumbling about the light while they slept, and within a few days they saw traces of orange within their eyes. Then one night, they snapped.

They’d thought that the construction bug was sleeping when they were attacked. A terrible pain shot through them, originating from one of their horns, or rather, where one of their horns used to be. They quickly jumped away- ignoring the pain -and looked at their assailant to see that the other member of the working crew was holding a pickaxe. The makeshift weapon was lodged into the ground, with fragments of their mask scattered around it. When the bug looked back up at them, their eyes had been completely overtaken by the orange- their gaze pulsating with the infection.

They hastily took their hammer out as they ran towards the husk. Dodging under them as they swung the pickaxe, Terene slammed the hammer into the bug’s face, knocking them to the ground. They quickly followed up by bashing the hammer into them again, and again, and _again_. The assault continued until the other bug had ceased moving completely.

When Terene finally stopped, they could only stare at what they had done, the scratching of the Dirtcarvers being the only sound within the cavern. They climbed onto one of the seats of the tram and curled up on themselves.

They were totally alone now. No one else was there except for the creatures outside that would surely rip them apart given the chance. A black fluid slowly began leaking from the eye holes of their mask as the realization truly set in. All they could do was cry.

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to QueenEgg for beta reading this and to Orijyn for creating this character!


End file.
